Monday, May 11, 2015

Movie Monday: The Help

The Help
When opportunity arises, I feature Movie Monday. I recognize few people have the time or desire to read the amount I do, especially when it comes to the 100 Best Novels list. Luckily, Hollywood loves adapting a classic and I love a good story in any form.

Film Title: The Help
Book Title: The Help
Release Year: 2011

Summary: Three women in Jackson, Mississippi set out to share their stories of racial tensions and civil rights during the 1950s. White woman Skeeter Phelan, trying to find her niche as a writer, begins to secretly gather the stories of black maids within the community.


What I Thought: I love this movie, just as I love the book. When you put Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain in as your team of protagonists, you are bound to have a hit. Plus appearances from Allison Janney and Sissy Spacek? It's like a dream team of female powerhouses. If they just could have worked in roles for Meryl Streep and Julie Andrews...

The film, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, captures the book so well. It doesn't grasp every detail and shrinks the timeline quite a bit, but all in the name of condensation. It still clocks in at nearly two and a half hours of delightful performances, poignant messages, and laugh out loud lines sprinkled throughout for comic relief. 

Whether you have read the book or not, this is a must see for so many reasons. 

Rating: ★★★★★
Will I Re-Watch: Most definitely

A Reduced Review: Just like the book, the film gets to the heart of discrimination in mid-century southern America with humor, grace, and poignancy.

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